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Did you know that water makes up 75 percent of all muscle tissue and 25 percent of all fatty tissue? Water acts as a cushion to protect your vital organs; it helps your digestive system and regulates your body temperature by allowing heat to evaporate from the body in the form of sweat. We can not live for more than a week if we deny our bodies water. Without the appropriate water levels in our body we will lack energy, suffer muscle fatigue and reduce coordination. The most common complaint I hear from sailors after a day on the water is lack of energy and sore or fatigued muscles. Water, anyone?
Performance is affected when the body loses as little as two per cent of body weight through water loss. On average the body loses one quart of water in one hour of exercise. Of course, this varies with the intensity and duration of exercise. Another variable is the air temperature. The warmer it is outside, the more the body will try to cool itself by perspiring. If there is not enough water in your body it can't cool itself and this will lead to a state of dehydration.
The best way to check your hydration level is by looking at the color of your urine. A pale yellow indicates that you are in charge and your body is at a good level of hydration, i.e., it has an adequate water supply. When your urine is a dark gold/brown color, consider yourself at war - dehydration is taking over and you need to increase your intake of fluids. However, it's also important to remember that if you are taking any kind of supplements they can darken the color of your urine for a few hours after consumption. Some vitamins will change the color of your using - most commonly turning it a fluorescent yellow color. If you are in any doubt or have concerns, talk to your doctor.
Dehydration is the first symptom of other, more serious heat-related conditions, If you continue to lose water you are putting yourself at risk of:
To prevent any of these from occurring we must make sure we remain hydratred. The best, and most commonly heard, piece of advice is also the most frequently ignored:
You Must Drink Eight To Ten Glasses Of Water Per Day.
If you only pick up a drink when you are thirsty you are never in a state of hydration. When the body signals thirst it has already entered a dehydrated state. To avoid this, it is vital to have a continuous flow of fluid through the body all day, every day! And don't forget, 8-10 glasses of water relates to an average to low activity day. Most people don't realize that you need to consume fluids during a period of exercise. Think about it. This is when the body is working hardest to cool and protect itself so it makes sense that it will want to get access to as much water as it can. Give it some help!
To ensure you are properly hydrated during higher levels of activity here are some guidelines:
Anyone that knows me knows that I practice what I preach. I drink at least a half a gallon of water every day. I always have a container of water in my hand and when I have that morning cup of coffee I have an extra glass of water with it. Since I've been drinking these quantities of water my energy has increased and I have received fewer exercise-related injuries. So put it in a sporty bottle, add a slice of lemon or dress it up as you like. Just make sure you drink up!!
As always any questions or comments feel free to email me at [email protected].
Did you know that water makes up 75 percent of all muscle tissue and 25 percent of all fatty tissue? Water acts as a cushion to protect your vital organs; it helps your digestive system and regulates your body temperature by allowing heat to evaporate from the body in the form of sweat. We can not live for more than a week if we deny our bodies water. Without the appropriate water levels in our body we will lack energy, suffer muscle fatigue and reduce coordination. The most common complaint I hear from sailors after a day on the water is lack of energy and sore or fatigued muscles. Water, anyone?
Performance is affected when the body loses as little as two per cent of body weight through water loss. On average the body loses one quart of water in one hour of exercise. Of course, this varies with the intensity and duration of exercise. Another variable is the air temperature. The warmer it is outside, the more the body will try to cool itself by perspiring. If there is not enough water in your body it can't cool itself and this will lead to a state of dehydration.
The best way to check your hydration level is by looking at the color of your urine. A pale yellow indicates that you are in charge and your body is at a good level of hydration, i.e., it has an adequate water supply. When your urine is a dark gold/brown color, consider yourself at war - dehydration is taking over and you need to increase your intake of fluids. However, it's also important to remember that if you are taking any kind of supplements they can darken the color of your urine for a few hours after consumption. Some vitamins will change the color of your using - most commonly turning it a fluorescent yellow color. If you are in any doubt or have concerns, talk to your doctor.
Dehydration is the first symptom of other, more serious heat-related conditions, If you continue to lose water you are putting yourself at risk of:
- heat stroke,
- heat exhaustion,
- heat cramps.
To prevent any of these from occurring we must make sure we remain hydratred. The best, and most commonly heard, piece of advice is also the most frequently ignored:
You Must Drink Eight To Ten Glasses Of Water Per Day.
If you only pick up a drink when you are thirsty you are never in a state of hydration. When the body signals thirst it has already entered a dehydrated state. To avoid this, it is vital to have a continuous flow of fluid through the body all day, every day! And don't forget, 8-10 glasses of water relates to an average to low activity day. Most people don't realize that you need to consume fluids during a period of exercise. Think about it. This is when the body is working hardest to cool and protect itself so it makes sense that it will want to get access to as much water as it can. Give it some help!
To ensure you are properly hydrated during higher levels of activity here are some guidelines:
- Drink one to two glasses of water an hour before exercise.
- Drink another glass of water 20-30 minutes before exercise.
- Drink four to six ounces of water every 15-20 minutes during exercise.
- Drink another glass of water during the first 30 minutes after exercise.
Anyone that knows me knows that I practice what I preach. I drink at least a half a gallon of water every day. I always have a container of water in my hand and when I have that morning cup of coffee I have an extra glass of water with it. Since I've been drinking these quantities of water my energy has increased and I have received fewer exercise-related injuries. So put it in a sporty bottle, add a slice of lemon or dress it up as you like. Just make sure you drink up!!
As always any questions or comments feel free to email me at [email protected].